Roza Dereje made her marathon debut in 2015 as a teenager with a modest 2:34:02 performance, and then she dramatically increased her racing schedule. She ran four marathons in 2016 and three marathons in 2017. 

Name: Roza Dereje

Country of origin: Ethiopia

Standout races: Dereje set the course record in Dubai in January, running 2:19:17 to become the 10th fastest woman in history over the marathon distance. At the 2017 Shanghai Marathon, her husband paced her up to 40K – she won and set a then PR, 2:22:43. She has won four of her nine career marathons, including two wins in Shanghai, a win in Dubai and a win in Denmark. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon marks her AbbottWMM debut, and her first race in the U.S.

More about Roza Dereje: At just 21 years old, Dereje is the youngest female elite athlete in the field.